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Preparing for an Alpine Route

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 Hans 01 Feb 2016
All,

I am currently preparing for a basic Alpine route (F). At the moment, I do not know which route as conditions vary, and my free time is limited.

My concern is taking appropriate steps in the Alps, building up experience etc. My main question to all the hardened Alpinists out there is:

What do you do before selecting a route?

Any details appreciated.

Here is what I have done already:

Spoken to a couple of IFMGA guides
Attended a crevasse rescue course with a Guide
Booked to attend an avalanche course
Read up on snow and avalanche causes/composition/effects
Researched in a fair amount of detail the Werner method of assessing risk
Brushed up on navigation in full winter conditions

I would like to compile a checklist (a bit like the Nivocheck) to go through before a route. Maybe I'm being too detail focused, but that's why I'm posting. Let's see what has worked for other people.

Best

H.
2
 Mark Haward 01 Feb 2016
In reply to Hans:

I strongly recommend getting a book to get some more information, Bruce Goodlad's book will probably help you a lot.
If time is limited you could book a guide or go an alpine course. With more time you could join a club that is happy to take novices along on alpine adventures or even learn with a like minded friend.


OP Hans 01 Feb 2016
In reply to Mark Haward:

Evening Mark

Thanks for the info and advice.

So what is your approach before heading out? What do you do? You have a lot of experience from your profile.

I have bought, and read, 'Alpinism' by Alun Richardson which I think is great. Very detailed. I also have Peter Cliff's book on Alpinism.

Booking a Guide for my first Alpine adventure seems like a good choice. No time for a club unfortunately, and the people I do know always go for super hard objectives, mostly ski touring. I don't want to slow them down; they're happy with me to go along after I get some experience.

Looking forward to hearing other people's methodologies before heading out. All I want to know is your process. I can learn better from a structure.

Best

H.
1
 John Kelly 01 Feb 2016
In reply to Hans:

If you don't already, do some running ideally up hills, 4 times a week for 6 weeks should just about do it, (3 x half hour and one longer, per week, hill reps good), lose any excess weight, I have no idea about scientific training but there is loads out there, read bonnatti and buhl
OP Hans 01 Feb 2016
In reply to John Kelly:

MFB - thanks, good advice. Can never be too fit for the Alps. Although not got much 'excess' weight to lose at 60kg...

So this is your process before you select a route? Just do a load of running? Come on, the process.

Just wondering how experienced alpinists narrow down their options and the reasons for doing it. More info about that the better.

Best
H.
1
OP Hans 01 Feb 2016
In reply to Hans:

Maybe the questions could be phrased:

'As an experienced Alpinist, how do you go about choosing your next route? What do you do to select it?'.

This is what I mean by 'preparing'. Running and getting fit, crucially important yes. But say three days before you go, what do you do?

Best

H.
1
 Roberttaylor 01 Feb 2016
In reply to Hans:


The three days before?

Look at the weather forecasts and the OHM routes book to see what people have done recently (and what they have said conditions are like).

OP Hans 01 Feb 2016
In reply to John Kelly:

Just realized that my post wording was incorrect. I was not asking the right thing.

Thanks for your reply - it's massively helpful to move fast through danger zones. Not lingering around is crucial. Fitness is probably number one.

Best

H.
1
OP Hans 01 Feb 2016
In reply to Roberttaylor:

OHM?

Not sure what that means I'm afraid.
1
 John Kelly 01 Feb 2016
In reply to Hans:

Sorry I've not answered your question, apologies,
60 kg, oh dear, try more pies and blackpudding it's a superfood they say
I'm very out of date but FWIW
Routes - for me objective safety is important so I would be considering a number of routes and select the safest option just before setting off, forecast, guides office, blogs
OP Hans 01 Feb 2016
In reply to John Kelly:

Thanks - blogs are an interesting source of info, hadn't considered those.

Cheers again
1
 EwanR 01 Feb 2016
In reply to Hans:

> Maybe the questions could be phrased:
> 'As an experienced Alpinist, how do you go about choosing your next route? What do you do to select it?'.

That's what guidebooks and winter evenings are for. Go through the books and make a list of routes that look interesting at an appropriate grade. Then see what else is possible from the same hut/base as alternatives as it's much nicer to spend two nights in the same place as well as having a few plan Bs.

> But say three days before you go, what do you do?

Check the weather forecast, choose a route (or routes), phone the hut to book and get conditions information.

Then at the hut get the latest conditions information from the guardian and, if the approach to the route from the hut is in any way not a motorway, walk at least the first 15/20 minutes in the light so that it's not a complete surprise at 3am the following morning.

Ewan
 James FR 01 Feb 2016
In reply to Hans:

The Camptocamp website is a good resource for some parts of the Alps (especially in France). You can search recent outings for the areas you're interested in to see what conditions are like, although you're relying on firsthand accounts that anyone can post online. It helps to know some French.

OHM is the Office de Haute Montagne in Chamonix. They also have an online route book: http://www.chamoniarde.com/?page_id=136
 Mark Haward 01 Feb 2016
In reply to Hans:

Process varies hugely for me. At one end of the spectrum, researching a route in guides / books / maps / web then getting local conditions and weather info and going for it. At the other end I might pass a route think 'that looks in good nick' and give it a go. Sometimes it is the look of the route that inspires me, sometimes it is that a route requires a step up in terms of my personal skills, fitness, commitment and performance.
Usually I go to an area with lots of possible routes in mind, always having several options to hand. For example longer / higher / harder committing routes; shorter hard or easy routes that can be snatched in a short weather window, mid mountain long rock routes, valley cragging options and, if all else fails , be prepared to move. Route choice depends on conditions of the routes, how fit and acclimatised I am, how fit and acclimatised my partner / partners are, what grade or type of route we want to climb ( tiger or mouse day ), weather forecast and how long we have.

Rather than sitting around waiting for a dream or planned route to come into condition I prefer to climb almost every day if I can. For example:

Three years ago I was in Chamonix with a partner on his second alpine season. Half way through the trip we had done some routes around 3,500 metres and were reasonably fit and acclimatised. High routes were suffering from strong winds, wind slab, fresh snowfall. So we went up the Aiguilles Rouges and did the Voie Ravanal, about 16 pitches of bolt protected rock climbing to a nice rocky peak. Descent involved some easy moving together ground which was a useful experience for him. Two days more mid mountain cragging later we heard that conditions on the Tacul North Face were now stable but the forecast was for one good day of weather to be followed by more wind and snow high up. So we got the first telepherique in the morning and did the Grisolle route on the Tacul - 8 or so snow and mixed pitches followed by moving together to the summit. The next day the weather was poor but we managed to snatch some valley cragging routes. Forecast looked poor for the next few days so we went to Switzerland and did some routes there.
So for me there is not so much a step by step linear process but a constant bearing in mind of a whole variety of factors - this sometimes even includes 'gut feeling'.
Hope these wandering thoughts help...

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